[Choi Junyoung's World+] Trump and Mao Zedong's "Zao Fan You Li (There Is Reason in Rebellion)"

Mass Layoffs of Federal Employees and Department Abolitions
Reducing Government Budget Through Technological Innovation
Delegating Government Efficiency to Musk
Foreign and Security Appointments Target China
Disruptive Innovation to Overhaul Existing Order
Large-Scale Purge of Military Generals Who Defied Trump During His First Term

Choi Jun-young, Senior Advisor at Law Firm Yulchon (Global Policy and Legal)

Since Trump's election, the world has been paying close attention to the direction the United States will take. It is clear that President Trump will disregard the existing order and agreements. Trump, as the 47th President of the United States, has detailed what he intends to do through a website called ‘Agenda 47’ in 2023. Although Trump denies any connection, many expect that a significant portion of the content from ‘Project 2025,’ primarily developed by the Heritage Foundation, will also translate into actual policies.

Predictions about Trump’s style, desires, and actions can be roughly inferred from the personnel appointments made so far. The most notable appointment was Elon Musk as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency. During the election, Musk proposed to Trump that taxpayer money should be spent wisely, and this department was suggested as a means to ensure that. Trump has long believed that a substantial portion of the U.S. budget is wasted and that there are too many unnecessary agencies and personnel.

While Agenda 47 declared plans for mass layoffs of federal employees and the abolition or downsizing of federal departments including the Department of Education, it lacked concrete methods for implementation. However, with the emergence of Musk, an innovative entrepreneur who has demonstrated cost savings through efficiency, Trump delegated all related matters to him. Trump will push for a significant reduction in the federal government and budget through Musk. Problems arising from personnel and budget cuts are expected to be addressed through technological innovations such as artificial intelligence and robotics. Meanwhile, Trump has set the operational deadline for the Department of Government Efficiency to July 4, 2026, the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Declaration of Independence, likely as a precaution against accountability issues arising from potential chaos. This is a characteristic management style where Trump claims credit for successes while making those who do the work bear the responsibility.

Michael Waltz, a member of the House of Representatives appointed as National Security Advisor in the second Trump administration, is speaking at the 'Save America' rally supporting U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (Republican·FL), who was appointed Secretary of State, ahead of the midterm elections held on the 5th in Miami, Florida. Photo by AFP and Yonhap News Agency

The appointments in the foreign and security sectors were thoroughly targeted at China. Senator Marco Rubio, appointed as Secretary of State, has taken a hardline stance against China, Iran, and Cuba. Since his election to the Senate in 2010, he has continuously emphasized the need to check and pressure China through his work in foreign affairs and intelligence. Representative Michael Waltz, appointed as National Security Advisor, is also a prominent China hawk. A former Green Beret with 27 years of military service, Waltz has combat experience in most U.S. intervention zones such as Afghanistan and Iraq. He has repeatedly argued that China should be set as the primary adversary and that improving relations with Russia is necessary to focus all efforts on China. By appointing such hardliners toward China to the foreign and security team, Trump clearly signals that China is his top priority, prompting allies to reconsider their relations with the U.S.

On the other hand, Trump’s appointments also clearly reveal his intent to exact revenge for past grievances. Pete Hegseth, a Fox News host appointed as Secretary of Defense, served as a reserve major but has no verified experience or capability to command the world’s largest military. Trump’s justification for appointing someone with little real military connection as Defense Secretary is to eradicate the ‘woke’ culture within the military that was promoted during the Obama and Biden administrations. This culture, emphasizing diversity unrelated to combat effectiveness, is seen as leading the military astray.

However, the general assessment is that the real motive is a large-scale purge of military generals who defied Trump’s orders in the past. Trump ordered military deployment to suppress large-scale protests in Washington following the deaths of Black individuals at the hands of police, but the generals refused. Military officials also opposed Trump’s immediate withdrawal from Afghanistan and Iraq in various ways, delaying implementation. Trump viewed this as insubordination and believed that his failure to control it contributed to his defeat in the 2020 presidential election.

Appointing Robert Kennedy Jr., known for vaccine conspiracy theories, as Secretary of Health and Human Services is in a similar vein. During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, Trump expedited vaccine production by bypassing all procedures and regulations. However, he believes that the pharmaceutical industry and health-related government agencies systematically ignored him after his election defeat. To overcome this, Kennedy, who holds negative views on vaccines, was deemed suitable. Of course, the symbolic effect of appointing a member of the Kennedy family, an icon of the Democratic Party, was also considered. Naming Representative Matt Gaetz, who has been involved in numerous scandals including underage prostitution, as Attorney General likely reflects Trump’s confidence that Gaetz will wield the sword thoroughly on his behalf against prosecutors and law enforcement agencies that have humiliated him.

The clearest message from these appointments is Trump’s determination not to inherit existing policies or methods but to change everything and bring about disruptive transformation. From the perspective that his election represents voters’ demand to correct the misguided direction of American society, this is a natural outcome. It recalls the Chinese Cultural Revolution slogan ‘Zao Fan You Li (造反有理),’ meaning ‘there is reason in rebellion and revolt,’ which Mao Zedong advocated. Even if there is chaos during the remaining four years of his term, Trump’s will to thoroughly dismantle the existing order and transform America has been evident since before his inauguration. This marks the beginning of the first major change in 40 years since President Reagan dramatically transformed the United States in the 1980s.

Choi Jun-young, Legal Expert at Yulchon LLC (Global Policy & Law)